System and method for call center dialog management

Abstract

A system and method for call center dialog management is disclosed. The method discloses: presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; identifying a dialog property keyword within the contact dialog segment; replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property in response to the dialog property keyword; and presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact. The system of the present invention, discloses means for implementing the method.

1. A method for call center dialog management, comprising:
 presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 identifying a dialog property keyword within the contact dialog segment, the dialog property keyword including a request for a modification of the current call center dialog property; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property in accordance with the request; 
 presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact; 
 generating a set of dialog metrics from the contact dialog segment; and 
 comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; and 
 
       wherein replacing includes, replacing the current call center dialog property with a second new call center dialog property, if no dialog property keyword is identified and the generated dialog metrics vary from the first set of thresholds by a first predetermined amount. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the dialog property keyword indicates a dialog speed; and 
 wherein replacing includes replacing a first dialog speed with a second dialog speed. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the dialog property keyword indicates a dialog language; and 
 wherein replacing includes replacing a first dialog language with a second dialogue dialog language. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the dialog property keyword indicates a contact expertise level; and 
 wherein replacing includes replacing a first contact expertise level with a second contact expertise level. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the dialog property keyword indicates a contact help level; and 
 wherein replacing includes replacing a first contact help level with a second contact help level. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein replacing includes replacing a first pre-recorded call center dialog segment having the current call center dialog property with a second prerecorded dialog segment having the new center dialog property. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein replacing includes adjusting a text-to-speech synthesizer from generating center dialog segments having the current call center dialog property toward generating center dialog segments having the new call center dialog property. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein replacing includes adjusting a Voice-XML prosody tag from generating center dialog segments having the current call center dialog property towards generating center dialog segments having the new call center dialog property. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein replacing includes adjusting a digital signal processor timescale modification. 
 
     
     
       10. A method for call center dialog management, comprising:
 presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 determining whether the contact dialog segment includes a request for help associated with interpreting the first call center dialog segment; 
 generating a first dialog metric based on the determination; 
 generating a set of dialog metrics including the first dialog metric from the contact dialog segment; 
 comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property, if the generated dialog metrics vary from the set of thresholds by a predetermined amount; and 
 presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein generating includes:
 totaling a number of times the contact was asked to respond to the first call center dialog segment. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein generating the first dialog metric includes:
 totaling a number of times the contact requested help. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10  wherein generating includes:
 calculating how poor the contact's grammar is. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10  wherein replacing includes:
 replacing a first dialog speed with a second dialog speed. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10  wherein replacing includes:
 replacing a first dialog language with a second dialog language. 
 
     
     
       16. A method for call center dialog management, comprising:
 presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 determining whether the contact dialog segment includes a dialog property keyword, the dialog property keyword including a request for a modification of the current call center dialog property; 
 generating a set of dialog metrics from the contact dialog segment; 
 comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property in accordance with the request based on the determination; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a second new call center dialog property, if no dialog property keyword is identified and the generated dialog metrics vary from the set of thresholds by a first predetermined amount; and 
 presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact. 
 
     
     
       17. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for commanding a computer to effect call center dialog management, comprising:
 presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 identifying a dialog property keyword within the contact dialog segment, the dialog property keyword including a request for a modification of the current call center dialog property; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property in accordance with the request; 
 presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact; 
 generating a set of dialog metrics from the contact dialog segment; and 
 comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; and 
 
       wherein replacing includes, replacing the current call center dialog property with a second new call center dialog property, if no dialog property keyword is identified and the generated dialog metrics vary from the first set of thresholds by a first predetermined amount. 
     
     
       18. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for commanding a computer to effect call center dialog management, comprising:
 presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 determining whether the contact dialog segment includes a request for help associated with interpreting the first call center dialog segment; 
 generating a first dialog metric based on the determination; 
 generating a set of dialog metrics including the first dialog metric from the contact dialog segment; 
 comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; 
 replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property, if the generated dialog metrics vary from the set of thresholds by a predetermined amount; and 
 presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact. 
 
     
     
       19. A system for call center dialog management, comprising a:
 means for presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 means for receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 means for identifying a dialog property keyword within the contact dialog segment, the dialog property keyword including a request for a modification of the current call center dialog property; 
 means for replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property in accordance with the request; 
 means for presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact; 
 means for generating a set of dialog metrics from the contact dialog segment; and 
 means for comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; and wherein replacing includes, replacing the current call center dialog property with a second new call center dialog property, if no dialog property keyword is identified and the generated dialog metrics vary from the first set of thresholds by a first predetermined amount. 
 
     
     
       20. A system for call center dialog management, comprising a:
 means for presenting a contact with a first call center dialog segment having a current call center dialog property; 
 means for receiving from the contact a contact dialog segment; 
 determining whether the contact dialog segment includes a request for help associated with interpreting the first call center dialog segment; 
 generating a first dialog metric based on the determination; 
 means for generating a set of dialog metrics including the first dialog metric from the contact dialog segment; 
 means for comparing the set of dialog metrics against a set of dialog metric thresholds; 
 means for replacing the current call center dialog property with a new call center dialog property, if the generated dialog metrics vary from the set of thresholds by a predetermined amount; and 
 means for presenting a second call center dialog segment having the new call center dialog property to the contact.